Mike Wilson and Kara Lester mutually decided to end their marriage at the final vow ceremony. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery
Mike Wilson and Kara Lester mutually decided to end their marriage at the final vow ceremony. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery
Married At First Sight NZ may have wrapped for the season, but it seems the fallout is just beginning.
Kara Lester, who struggled through a tumultuous relationship with former Apprentice star Mike Wilson, has not only faced harsh criticism from her ex-husband, but now from his new partner.
The new issue of Woman’s Day included an interview with the reality star calling Christchurch-based Lester a “horrible person”.
“She’s a horrible person inside and out,” he told the outlet. “She can put whatever she likes on social media; it just makes her look bad; I mean, if you’re getting banned by the publicist from doing interviews, that’s about as bad as it gets.”
Wilson and Lester struggled through their marriage. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery
Lester later claimed on her Instagram story that she has been “banned” by Warner Bros. Discovery’s publicity team, the show’s parent company, from doing interviews. She said, “the reason was, I commented on the pancake fight from one of the episodes, and apparently that was a breach of my contract”.
The Herald has approached Warner Bros. Discovery for comment.
For more Married At First Sight NZ news and all the recaps, click here.
However, it seems Wilson isn’t the only one with choice words about Lester. His new partner, Choiwee Moon, a holistic wellness coach from Bay of Plenty, took to the comment section of an Instagram post made by the MAFS bride where she made her feelings clear.
Sharing a photo from an episode of the fourth season of the show, in which Lester and Wilson visited his sister as part of the homestay segment of the experiment, Lester wrote, “home stays had me second guessing myself. At least I looked cute doing it”.
The post prompted a swarm of likes and comments from fans. Among the kind comments, there were multiple from Moon, who told the MAFS bride it was “good” the homestay had tested her.
“That’s the whole point of being a conscious adult,” Moon wrote. “Actually take some accountability and reflect on your thoughts and behaviour. Did you action anything you were invited to reflect on though? Did you ever make any effort to become a better, more understanding, conscientious person? It doesn’t seem like it.”
The comment was met with backlash from Lester’s fans. “Speaking of bullying, can we point out you are commenting on someone’s social media you DONT even follow to publicly advertise your own negative opinion of them,” one wrote. “Not a live laugh love moment on your behalf.”
Another added: “Why haven’t you been blocked by now. Bully”
Others claimed Moon had failed to “see the duality of life and human emotion”, insisting she was “belittling” Lester.
Mike Wilson's new partner had some choice words for his ex-wife, Kara Lester. Photo /Kara Lester
Moon did not directly respond to anyone’s comment, however, she posted a second comment soon after, telling fans she was only there to “call out unhealthy behaviour” and claimed she was one of the “many people disappointed by the tactics you’re using Kara”.
She further claimed Lester’s behaviour was “not appropriate”.
Her comments quickly sparked a heated debate with Lester’s fellow MAFS bride, Stephanie Archer, replying to Moon, “babe, read the room. She is not interested in what you’re selling”.
Lester added, “I am not a bully. I am having fun with what was a very hard experience for me. I wish you and Mike the best, but I do not wish to continue these conversations.”
Wilson and Lester both decided to end their marriage at the final vow ceremony. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery
Moon declined to comment further on the situation when approached by the Herald. Lester also declined to comment.
The Herald has approached Wilson for comment.
Lester and Wilson were the first couple to wed on the show and while their relationship appeared promising initially, it quickly took a turn with Lester insisting Wilson had not been authentic about his feelings towards her or his reason for being on the show.
The former MAFS bride reiterated her belief until the final episode, where she told the confession cam, “Mike tried to push his business into being a part of this experiment. Why would you do that if you’re coming here to find love?”
In the final vows episode, she and Wilson both agreed to end their marriage. She told him, “There were times I was made to feel like I was the problem and unable to meet you at a level I now realise doesn’t exist.”
While Wilson told her, “I won’t be taking the relationship past this point, you just aren’t my person. I’m heading back home to the land of other positive humans, wanting the best for the world and for themselves.”
This isn’t the first time a social media post made by a cast member of the recent MAFS season has garnered attention. Last month, Archer, who was married to Piripi Clarke, called out show expert John Aiken for his love advice, claiming he effectively told her to “lower” her standards.
Stephanie Archer has called out expert John Aiken for his love advice. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery
“Does anyone else feel like John was telling me to lower my standards?” she asked users of the app after sharing a snippet from a couch session with her husband, Aiken and expert Jo Robertson.
“I just think as a society we put so much expectation on women and then when they ask for the exact same in return, we tell them their ‘list’ is too long,” she said. “It is not a woman’s fault that they expect a man to adhere to the same standards to which society places on them.”
The post quickly earned praise from her fellow brides and fans, proving with social media ripe for debate and MAFS stars remaining in the public eye, the drama doesn’t stop when the show ends.
Lillie Rohan is a London-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things reality TV, films and music.
